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Wet spots, ponding or sewage on the ground.

A licensed septic installer or designer should evaluate the field, with the local health department on permits and repairs.

Customers put it like this

  • soggy spot over the drainfield
  • sewage coming up in the yard
  • grass is extra green over the field
  • do we need a new drainfield
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Stop first if

  • Effluent is on the surface.Keep people, pets and vehicles away. Treat it as sewage. Cut water use. Call the installer or health department.
  • Someone proposes digging, a yard drain or a chemical field treatment.Hold off. Have a designer review it and locate utilities first.
  • A pit or trench wall starts giving way, or a person is in it.Get people away from the edge. Call emergency services. Do not go in after anyone.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Is the wet area over, beside or below the field?
  2. How old is the system, and when did this start?
  3. Does it smell like sewage, and is it worse after rain?
  4. How many people live there, and has water use changed?
  5. Was anything new connected, like an RV dump, grinder or softener?
  6. Do you have the permit or as-built drawing?
02

Bring

5
  • Measuring stick for observation ports
  • Gloves and eye protection
  • Field marking flags
  • Water meter log sheet
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

6
  1. Gather design flow, occupancy, actual use, pumping history and every connected source.
  2. Read every observation port with depth and date, then repeat over several days.
  3. Walk the field and mound for compaction, paving, structures and vehicle tracks.
  4. From the surface, check screen condition and tank layer clearances.
  5. Compare findings with the permit's system type, separation and soil notes.
  6. Send repair or replacement decisions to a designer and the health department.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Dated port readings and days to recede
  • Map of wet areas against the as-built
  • Metered water use against design flow
  • Photos of the wet area

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.